Myanmar: Tea industry in steep decline

May 13, 2014 | Paing Soe, Democratic Voice of Burma
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Tea-leaf producers in Namhsan, northern Shan State, are struggling to stay in business due to labour shortages and a surge in untaxed tea from neighbouring China.

“Internationally, tea leaf is regarded as a high-value export product, but local producers in Burma are hit hard by imports from China that evade commercial taxes,” said Tun Myaing, chairman of the Palaung Tea Growers and Producers Association (PTGPA).